JOURNEY NORTH: A Virtual Nursing Experience

JOURNEY NORTH: A Virtual Nursing Experience
Our presentation will review the development of Journey
North: A Virtual Nursing Experience, a learner-centered virtual
community computer program comprised of a northern nursing station and surrounding First Nations community. This interactive computer
tool (virtual reality simulation) was created and developed by Kim Fraser and Nancy Ball with the intention of improving the quality of nursing
education. The presentation will review the development of Journey North: how it began with an idea that led to a PIF grant for technological
development of the product, an external partnership with Health Canada, and an RRC CARD-funded research investigation to evaluate its utility.
The presentation will conclude with a discussion of ideas about how Journey North might be implemented in the future to help educators
overcome barriers of time and place by allowing learners to actively explore the role of a community health nurse, as well as Aboriginal culture,
in a remote setting which is currently geographically unavailable to students.
Kim Fraser has been a Registered Nurse for over 30 years, working in many positions in acute care and has been a
Nursing Instructor for 8 years, the last three with Red River College. Interspersed between teaching positions, Kim has
worked extensively in community health, working in positions requiring advanced nursing practice such as community
health nursing in many remote First Nations communities in Manitoba, aeromedical nursing throughout northern
Manitoba, and as a Nurse Manager with Health Canada. Kim currently teaches Community Health in the nursing program
at Red River Community College. Kim will also be conducting research in the next few months on the barriers to the
recruitment of nurses to rural and northern areas as part of the fulfillment of her Doctor of Nursing Practice degree.
Deb Gural is an instructor in both the Nursing Department and the Child and Youth Care program at Red River
College. Since 2001, her primary teaching responsibilities have included Introduction to Psychology, Child and Adolescent
Development, Emotional and Behavioural Disorders of Youth, and Cross-Cultural Psychology. She completed her graduate
work at the University of Manitoba in the area of Personality and Social Psychology. Her doctoral dissertation, “Choice
making and difference making in the perception of control, responsibility, and blame” (2001) reflects her interest in the
areas of perceived control, coping, and stress management. In 2008, she received a Research Innovation Fund Award from
Red River College for her international evaluation of Child and Youth Care student volunteer efforts in post-hurricane
Katrina. She is currently co-authoring a textbook aimed to develop mental health literacy in Child and Youth Care
practitioners.
Nancy Ball is currently an instructor in the Faculty of Nursing at Red River College.
Her current focus is on the
development of online and blended courses. In 2009, she was a recipient of the Blackboard Exemplary Course Program
award for the blended course “Health Assessment in Nursing”. She holds a Bachelor of Nursing from Lakehead University
and a Master of Education from the University of Manitoba.
PRESENTATION INFO: http://air.rrc.ca/Faculty%20Support/upcoming-faculty-development.aspx
DATE: Wednesday May 13th TIME: 12:05-12:55 LOCATION: eTV Studio B
LIVE STREAM: http://blogs.rrc.ca/etv/streaming (Archived stream will be available at this URL as well)
Please register as seating is limited https://hub.rrc.ca/EmployeeDevelopment/default.aspx
For more information: Claudius Soodeen (TEIR) - [email protected] or 204.632.2147
The College Applied Research Development (CARD) Fund is provided by Applied Research to encourage faculty, staff, and students to engage in research
activities at the College. The intent is to develop and build internal research capacity within the College while providing a platform for innovation for those who
are eager to conduct practical research, but are in need of opportunities and resources.
The Program Innovation Fund (PIF) is a College-wide initiative at RRC that provides support for projects outside of normal departmental operations which
advance teaching and learning through innovation and continuous improvement. Projects could include both the initiation of some activity, service or resource
development or the elaboration of those existing to increase their effectiveness and efficiency.